Designing Programs to Increase Women’s Participation in Local Government
Devolving authority from central to local government offers a critical opportunity to ensure wider representation and improve post-conflict democracy. When elected, female officials in particular can enhance the legitimacy of local government, improve service delivery, and facilitate communication with the local population. Yet too often women are not given the information, training, and support necessary to run successfully for office. Part of a series that builds on a three-year field program on the role of women in Rwanda, this policy brief provides policymakers, donors, and program planners with strategies for the consolidation of democracy in post-conflict societies.
